Oshkosh EAA grounds a sea of Cessnas, Bonanzas, Piper Cubs

OSHKOSH, Wis. — The fields around the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture have become a sea of Cessnas, Bonanzas, Piper Cubs and Mooneys.

While more than a half million people are expected to visit the EAA convention at Oshkosh this week, about 10,000 pilots will arrive in airplanes, many flying in together grouped by the type of aircraft.

Because the aircraft that arrive together are parked together, the pilots of a particular make of aircraft began organizing en masse fly-ins to the convention. One-hundred-16 Bonanzas arrived in a group and landed in 14 minutes over the weekend, then 50 Cessnas, 35 in the Mooney caravan and 75 Piper Cubs.

Pilots tell the Oshkosh Northwestern it’s the camaraderie of their group that keeps them coming back year after year.